John,
My suggestion would be to put a coaming and skirt on your boat weather you ever roll her or not. Here is my reasoning.

If this boat is bound for BWCA/Quietico, its headed into a territory with big lakes and big wind. As you know I've paddled canoes up there bunches. It is not
unusual for the glacial gouges called lakes valleys to funnel wind. The bigger the lake the wilder the wind. That also means big waves. In a canoe you have a bigger
wind profile. Kayaks are meant to scoot under wind. It means your going to be able to travel on days when most canoes are beached. So that's your plus.
However, your yak has a much lower freeboard. Meaning big water has an easier shot at ya.

I have been on some of the biggest lakes looking at 6 mile crossings, got half way across and the next thing I was in a huge wind and big waves. Lots of times. Big
enough to reach over the freeboard on a cargo canoe. Wind is just as much an issue on medium lakes. About the only safe haven from big wind is the small rivers
and creeks in tight trees. One of the BWCA phenomena's is that before you get a low pressure system coming in the indication you'll get (short of a weather radio)
is an out flow. This is the big wind you get that suddenly comes up before a low pressure on what started to be a nice day will turn into a paddle hard thing. One of
the simple truths of the BWCA region is there is always a wind and..... its always in your face. In a canoe the answer is to deck the canoe with a tarp to cut the
wind profile and lessens the chance of being swamped.

In a kayak its going to be a different gig. First your boat is going to have much less freeboard., but your decked in so its not a problem. However, if your sitting in an
open cockpit your going to have even more of a problem then a canoe will with high waves over low gunnels.

If you could plan on knowing all the wind states in advance, I'd say you could get away with out it.Just beach the boat on the windy days. But on the BWCA lakes
where the wind is is a constant any ways and the terrain greatly effects the intensity direction and its variability . In the BWCA the wind is a minute by minute thing.
Additionally winds change a cross the day. Most mornings start out calmer. Afternoons get windier. Nights get changing breezes. We haven't even looked at the
thunderstorms that you midwesterners take for granted. They can push wind that change sea states very very fast. Being on a western shore under a small rise and
you sometimes can't see those storms coming. If you have skirt your expanding your options in such situations. I'm not saying stay on the water and temp lightening.
Instead I am suggesting that a skirt may be the difference between heading for a good spot to hole up for an hour and the nearest piece of shore line.

I'd say your should look at engineering a skirt into your boat. first it will lower your wind loading by a good deal. That supports what a yak is supposed to give you in
the first place. That means easier paddling, and handling. Secondly, it swamp proofs the yak weather you stay up or not. If you never roll her, but find yourself with
rollers marching over your bow. Your cockpit will stay dry.

The truth is its not just about safety. Its about fun. How many times have we all set up camp. Emptied the boat and then headed back out into big water just to sea
the waves come up over our bow. A kayak is really two hulls mated rather then a deck on plastered across the top of a hull. Your yak will work in either
orientation. Up or down. Yeah your open boat may not be ready to surf foamy ocean 12 footers. Still its going to be able to do a lot of fun in big lake wave sets.
Even with a big open cockpit it can be fun to take her out all dressed up to play in big sea states.

So My thought would be to build a coaming. And a skirt to fit it. Then I'd stow it conveniently in the cockpit. I'd probably paddle most of the trip open if that's your
druthers. However when you get to the big lakes like Alice or Basswood or Insula. Lake La Croix toss your skirt on at the portage head and cross with the skirt on
just for safety. Big lakes have a bigger sea state. And the middles are mmore bouncy then the edges. If its a marginal weather day. and your on smaller lakes I'd
wear it but maybe with out it attached to the coaming. Or I'd stow it but at the sign of a freshening west wind I'd head to shore and put it on.

Then when you go out fishing or for an evening paddle on calm nights. You can go easily on a stable open boat. skirt stowed easily for a quick grab if needed. LEt
you grab gear out of your cockpit etc.

If this is to stay a lake boat . I'd say you don't need to make or buy a neoprene bomb proof ocean roller. Or a white water thing meant for sustained underwater
usage. I'd say a waterproofed fabric one would do just fine with a set of shoulder straps a chest tube and a waist cinch. Your not plannning on taking your boat
under water like a white water boat or a surf yak. You just want something that will pass wind over your boat and repel the odd wave that slops over your boat.

Also Skirts are good to keep cover a boat in the rain. If you stop on a beautiful rock outcropping on a rainy day for lunch. Its a nice thing to be able to put the skirt
on the cockpit and cinch her up and find her as dry as when you left her.

Finally, There are lots of times I am just paddling across a small harbor or a lake that I know I don't need a skirt. The water is glassy the wind is nil and I still toss
my spray skirt on. Why?.....

Well In the end you'll probably discover. That paddling a kayak gets to be a thing where your boat will become part of you. When its right its a complete integration
of vessel and person. It just becomes a part of you. The skirt gets to be part of that integrated system. After a while ya start to feel naked with out it. You'll get to
the point where you'll put it on even when you don't have too. Just because you want to feel that total integration. Of being a man/boat unit that can duck under
anything, and enjoy things that other vessels can't even be a part of.
Hope it helps

!RUSS